US State Dept approves possible $1.17 billion sale of helicopter equipment to India

On the same subject

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  September 11, 2018 | International, Aerospace

  How B-52 Bombers Will Fly Until the 2050s

  By Kyle Mizokami The Air Force's fleet of Cold War bombers will fly longer than most people will live, allowing B-52 crews to work on planes their great-grandfathers flew. A series of upgrades to the B-52 Stratofortress bomber could keep the remaining fleet of Cold War bombers going until 2050. The planes, built during the Kennedy Administration, are expected to receive new engines, electronics, and bomb bay upgrades to keep them viable in nuclear and conventional roles. The B-52 strategic heavy bomber is a true survivor. It was designed to fly high over the Soviet Union carrying atomic bombs if necessary. But the B-52 is the do-it-all tool of strike warfare, taking on whatever mission is popular at the time. B-52s were modified to drop conventional bombs during the Vietnam War, where they proved they could fly low to penetrate enemy defenses, gained the ability to drop precision-guided bombs, and swapped their nuclear bomb loads for nuclear-tipped cruise missiles. The B-52s also can carry Harpoon anti-ship missiles, lay minefields at sea, and provide close air support to troops on the ground. B-52s have even flirted with air-to-air warfare, with their tail gunners reportedly shooting down two MiG-21 fighters over Vietnam. Of the original 102 B-52Hs built between 1961 and 1962, 76 are still flying with the Air Force's Global Strike Command and Air Force reserve. B-52s regularly fly to Europe and Asia, and in early June, two B-52s stationed on the island of Guam flew to the South China Sea in protest of Chinese territorial claims. Now the U.S. Air Force is embarking on a series of major upgrades that could give the B-52 another 30 years of service. According to National Defense, a key improvement will be re-engining the big bomber. Each B-52 still operates eight original TF-33-103 engines. Not only are those engines generations behind the state of the art, but their age, and the difficulty to source spare parts, puts their future use in jeopardy—a problem Popular Mechanics covered last year. Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney, and GE Aviation have all expressed interest in the new B-52 engine, but only Pratt and Whitney has actually chosen a potential replacement: the PW815 engine used in the Gulfstream G500 passenger jet. The Air Force would like to replace the bomber's APQ-166 terrain following and mapping radars, which are essential for low-level flight. A bomb bay upgrade will allow the B-52 to carry JDAM satellite-guided bombs and Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) in its internal bay. Storing weapons internally reduces drag, increasing range. Alternately a B-52 could carry both internal and external stores. A single B-52 can carry eight JASSMs internally and twelve externally, for a total of 20 of the precision attack missiles. Full article: https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a23066191/b-52-bombers-fly-until-the-2050s

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  April 23, 2024 | International, Security

  U.S. Imposes Visa Restrictions on 13 Linked to Commercial Spyware Misuse

  The U.S. is cracking down on individuals involved in the development and sale of commercial spyware.

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  December 17, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - December 15, 2020

  DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Thomas Scientific LLC, Swedesboro, New Jersey, has been awarded a maximum $105,820,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for nasopharyngeal swabs. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(2), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 6.302-2. This is a four-month contract with a three-month option period. Location of performance is New Jersey, with an April 24, 2020, ordering period end date. Using customers are Veterans Administration, Indian Health Service, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Defense. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DP-21-D-0004). Fidelis Sustainability Distribution LLC, Carson City, Nevada, has been awarded a maximum $45,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for various robotic surgery systems and associated hardware, software and consumable items. This was a competitive acquisition with 105 offers received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Nevada and Illinois, with a Dec. 14, 2025, ordering period end date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2026 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2D1-21-D-0002). Silver Oak Leaf Inc.,** Alpharetta, Georgia, has been awarded a maximum $13,534,957, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for coats and trousers. This is a two-year base contract with one two-year option period. This was a competitive acquisition with two responses received. Locations of performance are Georgia and Puerto Rico, with a Dec. 14, 2022, ordering period end date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal year 2021 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-21-D-1407). Innovative Federal Operations Group Inc., Carlsbad, California, has been awarded a maximum $7,557,359 firm-fixed price, definite-quantity contract for disposable protective coveralls. This was a competitive acquisition with seven responses received. Locations of performance are California and Turkey, with a Jan. 14, 2021, performance completion date. Using customer is Federal Emergency Management Agency. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-21-C-0003). AIR FORCE The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a $46,890,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the F-15 Qatar program. This contract provides for the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) requirement to procure Digital Electronic Warfare System spares for the Qatar Emiri Air Force. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed Aug. 23, 2023. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. FMS funds in the amount of $22,976,100 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8634-18-C-2701). The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a $17,764,388 fixed-price-incentive-firm, cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00009) to contract FA8634-18-C-2697 for infrared search and track to upgrade the current Air Force design equivalent of the Navy Block II configuration. This contract will retrofit the production ship sets by modifying the Block I Legion Pod with a replacement of the infrared receiver processor with the V3 infrared receiver and V3 processor from the Navy Block II and modified cabling harness within the pod structure. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed October 2022. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2019 National Guard and Reserve equipment defense funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. The F-15 Division Contracts Branch, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. NAVY Saxman One LLC, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $50,750,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the Navy Internship and Apprenticeship Programs. This contract provides for the promotion of student internship opportunities such as the Science and Engineering Internship Program (SEAP), the Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program (NREIP), Naval Horizons and other short-term internship programs. The work to be performed includes web site development, provide customer service, increase program awareness, develop virtual training opportunities, provide intern notification, make payment of intern stipends, work with Naval Commands to obtain the proper security paperwork for the intern(s), coordinate internship agreements and provide reports to the Office of Naval Research. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia, and is estimated to be completed by Dec. 15, 2025. The total cumulative value of this contract is $50,750,000. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $125,000 are being obligated on a task order on a cost-plus-fixed-fee basis at the time of award. These funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was solicited on a sole-source basis using an Alaska Native Corporation in accordance with 13 Code of Federal Regulations 124.506(b). The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00014-21-D-4002). CSRA LLC, a General Dynamics Information Technology Co., Falls Church, Virginia, is awarded a $28,092,546 modification to previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract N00039-17-D-0002 to extend network and information technology services being provided under the Outside Continental U.S. Navy Enterprise Network (ONE-Net) contract. The services provided under ONE-Net include service desk support, networks and systems operations support, field services support, information assurance services support, network technical support, business management office support, Tier II/III support, Tier IV support and host based security system support. Work will be performed in various locations outside the U.S. based on the requirement for each task order placed. Work is expected to be completed by September 2021. The total cumulative value of this contract is an estimated $171,828,967. No contract funds will be obligated on the base contract at the time of award. Contract funds will be obligated on individual task orders and will at the end of the fiscal year. This modification extends the period of performance of the contract by adding Option Period Five (Dec. 28, 2020, to June 27, 2021) with a ceiling of $17,717,296; and Option Period Six (June 28, 2021, to Sept. 30, 2021) with a ceiling of $10,375,250, which are both exercised with award of this modification. The contract type of the modification is an IDIQ hybrid contract with firm-fixed-price and cost only contract line item numbers. This contract includes options, which are being exercised at the time of award of this modification. This contract was not competitively procured because it is a sole-source acquisition pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) - only one responsible source (Federal Acquisition Regulation subpart 6.302-1). The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. Bell Textron Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $22,791,652 cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N00019-21-F-0228) against previously issued basic ordering agreement N00019-16-G-0012. This order provides engineering and logistics support, procures four resident integrated logistics support detachment computer seats, trailer lease site for flight test engineers, support equipment workaround material and aircraft wiring integration remote terminal and flight control computer test station material in support of Marine Corps (USMC) AH-1Z; the governments of Bahrain and the Czech Republic UH-1Y and AH-1Z production aircraft; and USMC UH-1Y and AH-1Z aircraft modifications and sustainment. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (70%); and Patuxent River, Maryland (30%), and is expected to be completed in February 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $957,796; fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $703,526; fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $14,842,613; and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $2,645,319 will be obligated at time of award, $15,800,409 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. The Boeing Co., Huntington Beach, California, is awarded a $8,000,000 fixed-price incentive (firm target) undefinitized contract modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-6307 for extra-large unmanned undersea vehicle maintenance analyses and logistics products. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia (52%); and Huntington Beach, California (48%), and is expected to be completed by December 2022. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $4,000,000 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. *Small business **Service-disabled veteran-owned small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2447883/source/GovDelivery/